UA Faculty Research

Frugivory and dispersal of saguaro cactus Carnegiea gigantea (Cactaceae Juss.) seeds by the Common Raven in the Arizona Upland Subdivision of the Sonoran Desert at Tucson, Arizona, USA

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Frugivory and dispersal of saguaro cactus Carnegiea gigantea (Cactaceae Juss.) seeds by the Common Raven in the Arizona Upland Subdivision of the Sonoran Desert at Tucson, Arizona, USA Pape, Robert B.; Peachey, William D. The saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea Britton and Rose) is a large columnar species that is a defining and keystone plant in the Sonoran Desert of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. There has been a long history of study of the saguaro cactus, yet many gaps remain in our knowledge of the species, including details of seed dispersal mechanisms and recruitment success. Effective dispersal of saguaro seeds is essential for recruitment and persistence of the plants, and a variety of bird and mammal species are known to contribute to this process. Recent observations of frugivory and saguaro seed dispersal by the Common Raven (Corvus corax Linnaeus 1758) are reported here for the first time. The Common Raven is added to the list of endozoochorous animals that feed on saguaro fruits, and is a potentially effective seed disperser for these plants. Seed dispersal by the birds is confirmed by aerial excretion, the seed shadow pattern matching the clustered establishment of same age saguaros commonly observed beneath nurse plants. We consolidate saguaro seed disperser records from the literature and discuss saguaro seed dispersal mechanisms. Our observations show the Common Raven as a consumer of the fruit and seed disperser of the saguaro cactus, bringing the total of known saguaro seed dispersing animals to 53 species. Due to the size of the birds they are potentially capable of moving large numbers of seeds over greater distances than smaller birds and small mammals, and may be one of the more important animals performing this service.

Notitas: Select Columns from the Tucson Citizen

Wed, 01 Sep 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Notitas: Select Columns from the Tucson Citizen Torres, Alva B.; Otero, Lydia R. From 1984 to 1993, Alva B. Torres wrote close to 400 columns for the Tucson Citizen, one of Arizona’s major newspapers. In the journalistic world, she stands out as one of the first Mexican American women to write a weekly column for a key newspaper. From 1984 to 1993, Alva B. Torres wrote close to 400 columns for the Tucson Citizen, one of Arizona’s major newspapers. In the journalistic world, she stands out as one of the first Mexican American women to write a weekly column for a key newspaper. In addition to recipes, Torres took this opportunity to share childhood memories and write about Mexican Americans who lived in Tucson, known as Tucsonenses. She also often made those active in local school programs, civic life, or operating small businesses the focus of her columns. Although never overtly political, Torres steadfastly reminded her readers that Mexican people and culture had always played a critical role in the city’s past. By focusing her columns on ordinary people and places, and highlighting local cultural practices, Torres garnered many fans and a wide readership. In addition to Torres’s insights about Mexican food, Notitas offers an exceptional selection of columns that provide readers the opportunity to learn more about Alva B. Torres as a person and her thriving social world.

Use of virtual reality in reducing pediatric perioperative anxiety: A literature synthesis review for current evidence based practice

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Use of virtual reality in reducing pediatric perioperative anxiety: A literature synthesis review for current evidence based practice Quartey, Francis; Hoch, Kristie; Herring, Christopher; Corriveau, Luc Background and objective: Pediatric patients frequently experience significant preoperative anxiety, with prevalence estimates ranging from 50% to 75%. This anxiety is associated with adverse outcomes, including increased postoperative pain, emergence agitation or delirium, prolonged recovery, and elevated healthcare costs. Despite heightened interest in non-pharmacologic interventions, awareness among healthcare providers regarding the substantial evidence supporting immersive technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR) to mitigate preoperative anxiety in children may remain limited. The objective of this systematic literature synthesis was to critically evaluate and consolidate contemporary evidence regarding the use of Virtual Reality as an intervention to reduce anxiety in pediatric perioperative care. The review also aimed to examine comparative effectiveness, implementation feasibility, and implications for translating evidence into clinical practice.

Changes in Provision of Recommended Cardiac Care for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Using a Longitudinal Cohort

Tue, 19 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Changes in Provision of Recommended Cardiac Care for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Using a Longitudinal Cohort Andrews, Jennifer G; Heikke, Brittany L; Meziab, Omar; Mathews, Katherine; Westfield, Christina Introduction/Aims Cardiac disease remains the leading cause of mortality in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), spurring release of cardiovascular supervision guidelines in 2005, 2010, 2018 and most recently, 2025. Little is known about changes in cardiac care after the updates to cardiac care recommendations for DMD. This study compares provision of recommended cardiac care before and after publication of the 2010 DMD Care Considerations. Methods Data from MD STARnet for individuals with DMD with at least one visit between March 1, 2010, through March 31, 2016 were used to assess frequency of cardiac visits stratified by age interval, diagnosis age, or left ventricular function (LVF) severity status. Data compared care received from February 2005 through February 2010 and March 2010 through March 2016. Results We assessed data for 922 individuals. Key findings overall demonstrate a significant increase in baseline assessments at diagnosis (39.5%–52.4%, p < 0.05), asymptomatic follow-up cardiac assessments every other year through 10 (22.1%–36.0%, p < 0.001) and annually age 11+ years (6.0%–18.1%, p < 0.001) and semi-annually for individuals with LVF abnormality (0.6%–1.4%, p < 0.01). There was no change in LVF assessment following new onset sinus tachycardia (ST). Arrhythmia, excluding ST, triggered investigation with a Holter in the post-guidelines period only (14.2%). Discussion We show increases in timing and frequency of cardiac care following publication of the 2010 Care Considerations. Areas for future research include understanding the relationship between adherence and cardiac outcomes, and barriers to receiving guideline-based care to ensure equitable DMD management.